Chapter 279 - Discussion
Chapter 279 - Discussion
Chapter 279 - Discussion
The Dean explained the Procedure in full detail to the room of people.
He went into so much detail that even some of the Council members had trouble following. Sure, they were absolute authorities when it came to Magic, but when it came to biology and how exactly the body worked, they were not as advanced as someone with a Ph.D. in biology from Earth.
There were several differences in biology, especially when someone absorbed more and more Mana, which changed their body.
However, the Dean had enough time to learn about these differences and create an entirely new biological model of the human body.
"You don't need to go into so much detail," King Skythunder said with a slight grin. He was still in a good mood, thanks to the fight. "I doubt that anyone in here will doubt your knowledge regarding the human body."
King Skythunder's eyes wandered over the Council.
The Council only averted their eyes.
"Alright," the Dean said. "In short, the properties of the chosen beast compete with the properties of the human body and fight a war. Inevitably, since the produced blood comes from the beast, the body will slowly lose. The body will continue dying until some parts manage to combine with the beast components."
"In the end, the body will be replaced by the properties of the beast, and throughout it all, the warrior will keep their old mind," the Dean explained.
"How powerful is the result?" King Skythunder asked as he leaned back on his throne, his head resting on his right fist.
"The new body of the warrior will be as powerful as the halfway point between the warrior's original body and the physical power of an equivalent beast."
"This means that the initial increase in power is definitely noticeable, but only as more time passes will the true power of the Procedure unveil itself," the Dean explained.
Shang inconspicuously glanced at the Council.
They were all furrowing their brows.
Obviously, they didn't like what they had heard.
'They probably thought that the Procedure would only be useful for General Stage and maybe Commander Stage warriors, but now, they know that the increase in strength only becomes greater as the warrior gains more power,' Shang thought.
Shang had already seen how the High Mage at the border and how the Council Head had acted towards the group of warriors.
Duke Whirlwind had made the correct decision by talking to King Skythunder directly.
King Skythunder rubbed his jaw in thought for a while.
Then, he turned to the Council.
"You may make your opinions known," he commented.
"Abominable perversion of the natural order of things," a green-haired older man from the Council shouted with disgust.
King Skythunder didn't say anything.
He only smirked to himself.
The older man immediately pointed an accusatory finger at the Dean. "You are transforming humans into beasts! Humans are humans, and beasts are beasts!" he shouted aggressively.
Then, he pointed at the group of warriors. "According to what you have said, all of these things are now some disgusting, unholy mix of human and beast! What difference is there between this so-called Procedure and a woman being raped by a beast and giving birth to some bastard monster?!"
Some of the warriors felt bad when they heard these words. It was natural for them to have an existential conflict about their nature as humans.
Were they still human?
Hearing such a powerful High Mage say these things certainly didn't help these warriors.
King Skythunder then looked at the Dean. "Your answer?" he asked.
The Dean only looked at the Councilmember.
"So?"
That was the entire answer.
The other members of the Council became more frustrated as they heard this dismissive answer.
"You dare?!" the man shouted in rage. "Beasts are beasts, and humans are humans! Mixing such fundamentally different existences can only create chaos!"
"Warriors don't have a powerful Spirit, and the stronger they become, the greater the difference between them and beasts! As of this moment, you can claim that the warrior is not mentally changed, but what of the future?! As the beast becomes more powerful, its mindset might very well eliminate the human nature!"
"What then?! Will we see mutating, violent monsters hunt and consume humans?! Will we see them stalk our academies so that they can kidnap an innocent Apprentice just so that they can increase their own power?!"
"Beasts grow more powerful by consuming people and other beasts! Can you assure us that these bastards you created won't do that in the future?!" the man shouted in rapid succession.
"No, I can't," the Dean said.
"That would be denying them their human nature."
Silence.
"What?" the man asked in outrage.
"As humans, it is in our nature to seek power," the Dean said. "We strive for power, and we all want to obtain it. The only things that differentiate us are our morals and personal philosophy."
"A human that is willing to cannibalize another human is also just a human."
"These events have happened in the past, they are probably happening right now, and they will continue to happen. Consuming other humans for their power is not something only beasts do," the Dean explained.
"That doesn't address the argument!" the old man shouted. "Can you vouch that no unwanted side effects will occur in the future?!"
Everyone looked at the Dean.
"No," he answered. "There are always risks to everything."
"Then why should we even consider giving you the permission to perform these abominable rituals?!" the older man shouted again.
For a second, everything fell silent.
"Member of the Council," the Dean said. "May I ask a simple question?"
The older man furrowed his brows in annoyance. "You may."
"Who is stronger, a Mage or a warrior?" the Dean asked.
"Why are you asking such a pointless question?" the man asked with annoyance.
"Please answer."
The man snorted. "A Mage, obviously."
"Correct," the Dean said. "A Mage is more powerful than a warrior, and the higher the level of power, the more powerful the Mage is compared to the warrior."
"The Bloodline Infusion won't be able to bridge this gap."
"So, if there comes a day when warriors suddenly transform into bloodthirsty monsters, there is only a simple thing you have to do."
"Kill them."
Of course, the older man didn't let up, and he continued trying to argue with the Dean.
However, the Dean kept using his trump card.
"You're more powerful. Just kill them."
"What could a group of rampaging warriors do against the Skythunder Kingdom?"
The Dean kept using the Mages' overwhelming power as an easy solution to every bad eventuality the man brought up.
This entire thing continued for over five minutes until…
"And what of their growth?!" the older man shouted in rage and frustration. It was like he was talking to a wall.
"Youngsters have to learn that nothing comes for free! On the path to power, they have to rely on themselves more than anyone else!"
"By just handing them such a powerful weapon without any price or requirements, you are damaging their futures!"
At that moment, the other Councilmembers looked at the older man with concerned expressions.
The older man looked into the Dean's eyes for what felt like an eternity.
The Dean didn't answer.
"I'm not interested in any more of your opinions, Reeve."
Reeve, the older man of the Council, looked with shock at King Skythunder.
King Skythunder only looked at Reeve with a displeased expression.
Reeve's expression fell.
Then, he gritted his teeth…
And walked back to the other members of the Council, not saying anything.
Everyone knew why the older man had been thrown out of the conversation.
Not handing young people something?
What? Did the guy expect every Apprentice to kill a Commander Stage beast on their own to get their Pure Mana Source?
Not helping the youngsters? Then, did they also have to learn how to create Space Rings, create Foci, create their own Spells, and create their own training?
"Next," King Skythunder said evenly.